RugbyRebels

The NZRU has also apparently invited 26, TWENTY-Bloody-SIX!, coaches to apply for the head coach role with a nominated team of assistants.

I’m fairly sure they’ve ruled out foreign coaches (but I hope Jake White got an invite just for the troll value) so who is on their list?

Lizard wrote:The NZRU has also apparently invited 26, TWENTY-Bloody-SIX!, coaches to apply for the head coach role with a nominated team of assistants.

I’m fairly sure they’ve ruled out foreign coaches (but I hope Jake White for an invite just for the troll value) so who is on their list?

Here's my attempt (in no real order of preference) to think of 26 remotely viable candidates:

1. Foster
2. Cotter
3. Gatland
4. Joseph
5. Rennie
6. Robertson
7. Schmidt (although he has already ruled himself out)
8. Plumtree
9. Boyd
10. Brown (unlikely as he's committed to assisting Joseph)
11. Mitchell (which would keep talkback afloat for years)
12. Deans
13. Hansen (ok-not likely)
14. Brad Thorn?
15. Gibson
16. Umaga
17. McDonald
18. Wayne Smith
19. Hammett
20. Ryan
21. Mauger
22. McKee
23. Haig
24. Steve Jackson
25. Kirwan
26. Pivac

1 News confirms that all 26 candidates are Kiwis, and speculates:

1. Foster
2. Rennie
3. Robertson
4. Joseph
5. Brown
6. Boyd
7. McDonald
8. Colin Cooper*
9. Plumtree
10. Mauger
11. Coventry*
12. Ieremia*
13. Cotter
14. Goodman*
15. Dermody*
16. Lam*
17. Blackadder*
18. Haig
19. Mannix*
20. Keane*
21. Matson*
22. Crowley*
23. McMillan*
24. Steve Jackson
25. Jonno Gibbes*
26. Feek*

*Not in my list.

RNZ seems to have discounted the prospect of the NZRU getting a coach already committed elsewhere or has said they're not interested. Instead they've looked at Mitre 10 Cup coaches - none of whom really have a shot, do they?

If anyone's got Premium Access, the NZ Herald has a list behind the paywall.

NZRU has confirmed the 26 includes coaches of Super team, national sides and overseas clubs.

I can confirm that there will be people in Bath crying with laughter if you voluntarily choose Blackadder. I will be crying if you get Lam, as he's absolutely outstanding and I don't want him anywhere near you.

Puja

Blackadder is more suitable to an assistant or specialist coach position, IMO. He strikes me as having been promoted beyond his capability.

There is no way Blackadder is even close. He might be in the 26 but there is no way there are 26 people sufficiently qualified to be head coach of the All Blacks.

NZ Herald’s list (still paywalled, but my work gets the hardcopy):

1. Robertson
2. Joseph
3. Foster
4. Brown
5. Cotter
6. Rennie
7. Schmidt
8. Haig
9. Gatland
10. McKee
11. Wayne Smith
12. Mitchell
13. Brad Mooar*
14. Blackadder
15. Lam
16. Boyd
17. Gibbes
18. Mannix
19. MacDonald
20. Deans
21. Plumtree
22. Mauger
23. Cooper
24. Coventry
25. Thorn
26. Gibson

Only one new name over me and RNZ, Brad Mooar.

1. Yes, but as an assistant. Dude needs to go through some heavy shit first.
2. Yes.
3. Maybe, but preferably as an assistant. While he did ultimately raise the overall performance level and expectations of the Chiefs, there are still questions over his suitability. He'll live or die depending on his team.
4. Yes, but as 2's assistant.
5. Yes.
6. Yes.
7. Maybe, but definitely needs some work on his coaching team.
8. Could be a good shout, and would probably be an excellent assistant or specialist coach.
9. I'm a convert, but I think he's been ruled out by Tew anyway. His record with Wales speaks for itself.
10. His tenure with Fiji has been a mixed bag, and while they almost beat lolstralia, they also got tipped over by Uruguay, so YMMV.
11. Dunno if he'd be interested at this point. He'd be a good mentor for Razor.
12. As a defence specialist.
13. Way too early to tell. Probably being flagged as a potential assistant coach.
14. Not as a HC, but rather, as an assistant or a specialist coach.
15. No no no no no, fuck no, no no no.
16. Maybe? I'd like to see him involved in a national team, but time is not on his side.
17. Yes, as an assistant coach.
18. Haven't seen enough to make a call.
19. Rangi did well with Tasman, and the Blues had a solid run in spite of some shocking officiating against them, so he'd suit an Assistant role.
20. Actually would be a good shout, and his time with Panasonic seems to have done him a world of good.
21. As an assistant or a specialist coach.
22. Ditto.
23. Lacks international experience.
24. Mixed bag so far, but would be a good assitant.
25. Ditto.
26. Get him out of Australia, put him into a proper coaching school and then send him to Europe. He's probably worse off now than when he started, and there's only so much one can do with suck-ass failure junkies like the Waratahs.

cashead wrote: 15. No no no no no, fuck no, no no no.

Why so strongly against Lam? He's been incredible coaching in Europe and his ability to build a team is second to none. Granted, I wouldn't necessarily chuck him in at the deep end on this little experience, but I'm surprised he rates a f*ck no.

Puja

Puja wrote:

cashead wrote: 15. No no no no no, fuck no, no no no.

Why so strongly against Lam? He's been incredible coaching in Europe and his ability to build a team is second to none. Granted, I wouldn't necessarily chuck him in at the deep end on this little experience, but I'm surprised he rates a f*ck no.

Puja

When he coached the Blues, his selection process was entirely built around cronyism and nepotism, treating the job as an opportunity for JOBZ FOR THE BOIZ, often ignoring player form if it meant making sure one of his BOIIIIZZZZZZ got selected even at the cost of the game - even going so far as to cost the team the season, but hey, that's all OK, because one of his BOIIIIIIIZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzZzZzZ got to play ahead of the guy who was actually in form. When it came to Auckland players, he was basically like Homer Simpson coaching Bart's football team, promoting him to quarterback, beyond his level of ability.

cashead wrote:

Puja wrote:

cashead wrote: 15. No no no no no, fuck no, no no no.

Why so strongly against Lam? He's been incredible coaching in Europe and his ability to build a team is second to none. Granted, I wouldn't necessarily chuck him in at the deep end on this little experience, but I'm surprised he rates a f*ck no.

Puja

When he coached the Blues, his selection process was entirely built around cronyism and nepotism, treating the job as an opportunity for JOBZ FOR THE BOIZ, often ignoring player form if it meant making sure one of his BOIIIIZZZZZZ got selected even at the cost of the game - even going so far as to cost the team the season, but hey, that's all OK, because one of his BOIIIIIIIZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzZzZzZ got to play ahead of the guy who was actually in form. When it came to Auckland players, he was basically like Homer Simpson coaching Bart's football team, promoting him to quarterback, beyond his level of ability.

Huh. Clearly he's the kind of coach that does better the further he is away from his home base. In which case, that explains the fuck no, even if I wouldn't mind having him as an England coach if he keeps up the form he's showing.

Puja

Jamie Joseph and Tony Brown are now out of the running. To the surprise of absolutely no one, the JRFU drove a dumptruck full of money up to Joseph's house.

I think Robertson is far too green, but I'd take him every day of the week over Foster.

But I'm still hoping Cotter is applying and that the myopic NZ media has simply forgotten about him.

EDIT: And that it's actually a legitimate selection process. Not just a charade to try and lend some credence to the already anointed Foster.

zer0 wrote:I think Robertson is far too green, but I'd take him every day of the week over Foster.

But I'm still hoping Cotter is applying and that the myopic NZ media has simply forgotten about him.

EDIT: And that it's actually a legitimate selection process. Not just a charade to try and lend some credence to the already anointed Foster.

You love the Foz.

Foz has proven himself a decent assistant, and his record at the Chiefs did see an overall improvement in the quality of their team. I do believe though, that it was a case of him staying on a bit too long. If he were to be appointed, and I do see the logic in it (at the very least, it won't be an unmitigated disaster like David Kidwell with the Kiwis), he's going to have to have a very robust team surrounding him.

Razor would be an obvious choice (his record so far speaks for itself), but I'd rather see him appointed as an assistant to someone like Cotter, Deans or Rennie, to be groomed as the successor down the line.

Also, seeing as how Cotter's got what I'm guessing is a lucrative gig at Montpellier as the Director of Rugby, I'm guessing that's him out of the running. Ronan O'Gara went to La Rochelle to replace Xavier Garbajosa, who's headed to Montpellier to slot in as the coach, replacing Cotter who's moved up a rung.

His contract there expires in June...

Cotter was hired as Montpellier's head coach in 2017, leading them to a 2017-18 grand final defeat to Castres. After Montpellier finished sixth in 2018-19 he was moved to the director of rugby role. Cotter's contract is set to expire in June 2020.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/int ... ellier-job

And Rennie's officially been appointed Wallabies coach.

The NZ Herald, in between shit-talking and slut-shaming dead English backpackers, are detailing potential coaching teams that Foz and Razor have approached.

Foster is apparently going for Plumtree, Schmidt and Feek to join Scott MacLeod as his assistants and specialists, and well, that's actually a really, really good team at the top there. You can see how he's wanting to put together a group that have
1. have worked together in the past
2. all have clear areas of expertise
3. have proven track records

Razor, it seems, is going for Jason Ryan from the Crusaders and Leon MacDonald from the Blues, and with all due respect, it's simply not as impressive as the squad Foz is wanting to put together.

I'd rather not shift through the Hurld, but going for, and getting, are very different things.

Nevertheless, I'm going to keep those names in mind and see how they compare at the end when the coaching team details, presumably, come out.

If I had to break down the distribution of jobs in Fozzie's proposed team, I'm guessing

Fozzie: Attack
McLeod: Skills
Plum: Forwards/Defence
Schmidt: Backs
Feek: Scrum

zer0 wrote:I'd rather not shift through the Hurld, but going for, and getting, are very different things.

Nevertheless, I'm going to keep those names in mind and see how they compare at the end when the coaching team details, presumably, come out.

Impey has said that part of the application process was to also involved naming your coaching teams, and it's clear that it will have a significant bearing on the selection.

If that is the case, I think Fozzie might have the inside running, as the proposed coaching team he's named is a hell of a lot more impressive than what is known about Razor's.

So the next coach will get a 2-year contract.

Sounds good in theory. In reality, I imagine that the extension will be a rubber stamp job regardless of who gets it.